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Prosecutor: No remorse, max sentence for Senser

MINNEAPOLIS — Prosecutors said Thursday that Amy Senser has not shown remorse over a fatal hit-and-run for which she was found responsible, and deserves the maximum prison sentence of five years.

In a court filing, Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Deborah Russell argued that the wife of former Minnesota Viking Joe Senser has only made excuses for the Minneapolis crash that killed a young restaurant chef last August. Russell urged Jude Daniel Mabley to sentence Senser to no less than 57 months in prison following her May conviction on two counts of vehicular homicide, the Star Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/NpNPEL ).

Senser will be sentenced Monday. Guidelines call for a sentence of 41 to 57 months in jail. Senser's attorneys are asking for probation, saying she is deeply remorseful and heartbroken over the crash.

Prosecutors dispute that. Senser “has not shown remorse for her criminal choice to drive away after crashing into (Anousone) Phanthavong,” Russell wrote. “She has not shown remorse for her choice not to call 911 immediately after the crash and she has not shown remorse for her choice not to report the crash the next day — even after she realized that she had killed Mr. Phanthavong and for ten additional days thereafter.”

Senser's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, cited Senser's lack of criminal record, support from family and friends and community involvement in arguing for probation. He provided the court with 90 letters from Senser's family and friends, who wrote to the judge that prison time would be of little use and that a community service order would be more useful.